


Colds Are For Weaklings

by Penthesilea1623



Series: Tied, But Tenderly [5]
Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Bull is sick and won't admit it, Elspeth's bedside manner needs work, F/M, Fluff, Fluffy Friday prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-09
Updated: 2015-05-09
Packaged: 2018-03-29 18:01:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3905620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Penthesilea1623/pseuds/Penthesilea1623
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>from a 'Fluffy Friday" prompt that pixelatrix gave me: Elspeth helping Bull recover from some sort of illness. (the flu or something silly.  Part of the <strong>Tied but Tenderly</strong> series featuring the Iron Bull and Elspeth Trevelyan. </p><p>Crossposted on my tumblr</p>
            </blockquote>





	Colds Are For Weaklings

The Iron Bull didn’t get sick. Injured, sure, it wasn’t a good fight if there wasn’t a bit of blood or a few bruises, but sick? No.

And he certainly didn’t get colds. 

Not the Iron Bull. 

Colds were for weaklings, not for warriors, not for the leader of the fucking Chargers, the meanest toughest bunch of mercs in all of…

He lost track of the thought as a coughing fit bent him double and seemed to tear through his lungs making his whole chest hurt.

Krem lowered his shield, a concerned frown on his face. “You okay, Chief?”

“Of course I’m okay.” He growled. “Now get that shield up.”

Krem looked dubious but did as he’d been ordered.

It didn't get any better. After about an hour he told Krem to takeover the training session and went to his usual seat in the tavern, ordering the barmaid to bring him something hot and with a lot of alcohol and to keep them coming. Maybe that would help.

It didn’t. He continued to feel crappier as the day went on.

By early evening, when the tavern began to fill, he was feeling worse than he ever remembered feeling. He’d stopped drinking because the alcohol had started to make him feel nauseous. Every muscle in his body ached, and every breath stabbed, and he felt as hot as if he was sitting not just in front of a fire but in it. He would have gone and climbed into bed but he didn’t think that he could actually stand on his own two feet, forget making it up the stairs to his room. He had another coughing fit that left him weak, out of breath and with his lungs feeling on fire and tilted his head back, closing his eyes. _Shit._

He sat there eyes closed, feeling like crap, the sounds of the tavern a dull buzz around him. He didn't know how much time had passed.

“I missed you at dinner.” 

He forced his eyes open.

Elspeth stood there smiling at him, a smile few other saw, open and teasing and affectionate with just a hint of eagerness.

He was the one who’d found that smile and it was one of the better things he’d ever done. 

“The boys and I had things to do.” Because he was trying not to cough it came out harsher than he’d intended and he watched that smile fade.

He saw emotions play out over her face: puzzlement, a bit of hurt, a touch of uncertainty, all of those in just a fraction of a second before she covered it. "Well I'm not doing anything right now if you've got some free time.” Her voice still teased by there was a note of hesitation now.

He opened his mouth to speak and a wave of nausea hit him. He leaned back and closed his eyes. “Not tonight, Boss.”

There was a pause. “Maybe later then? I’m pretty sure you know where my room is by now.” She was asking for his company, asking for him to come to her, and how many months had it taken for her to admit that she wanted that, needed that? 

The stabbing pain in his lungs was back, made worse because he was trying not to cough. “I said not tonight, Boss!” The words came out in a loud growl, and wouldn't you know it, just when Maryden had finished one of her songs and there was a lull in the noise in the tavern.

“Fine.” Elspeth snapped.

Bull opened his eyes in time to see her spin around and stalk towards the door. As she passed the crowded tables people hurriedly resumed their conversation, pretending they hadn't heard that last exchange.

Krem was giving him a reproving look.

 _Fuck._ He tried to get to his feet and the whole room swayed. His vision blurred and the cough he’d been trying to hold back tore through him leaving him feeling like his lungs had been shredded from the inside out. He spat out some phlegm he’d brought up onto the floor and saw it was bloody.

_Crap. That wasn’t good._

It was his last coherent thought before the room went dark and he felt himself crashing to the floor.

He didn't remember much clearly after that. Pain whenever he breathed, the heat of a fever, coughs that seemed to rip through him. Hands holding him down as someone tried to force a potion into him. and Elspeth's voice pleading with him, "Please, Kadan, please drink it. Please, for me." And he'd drunk it and sunk back into a stupor again.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he woke up with every muscle aching, but clear-headed for the first time in a while, he suspected, and, he took another deep breath just to be sure, his lungs were clear; sore and a bit raw feeling, but he could take a deep breath. 

Sunlight was streaming into the room and he realized where he was: in the Inquisitor’s chambers, on the bed they shared more often than not lately. The last place he remembered being was in the tavern. 

He pushed himself up on one elbow and someone was immediately there, supporting him.

“Easy, Chief.” Krem said, shifting a pillow beneath him so he was propped up

Something about Krem looked different and it took Bull a moment to realize what. No armor. Just trousers and a shirt that looked as if they'd been worn for days. Bull frowned. He opened his mouth to find out what had happened and found it so dry he could hardly speak. “Water.” He managed to croak.

Krem poured him some from a pitcher and held the cup as he drank it down.

“How long?” He asked when he could speak again.

“Almost a week. You should have told us you were that sick.” Krem made an effort to keep his voice nonchalant but he didn’t quite succeed.

“How’d I get up here?”

Krem sat back in his chair. “Inquisitor’s orders.”

Bull gave a small grunt. “You the one who carried me?” 

“Carry a big lummox like you all by myself? Not bloody likely. Me and the boys. And Rainier. Commander Cullen once we got to the Main Hall.”

“Fuck.” Bull muttered. He was never going to live that one down.

“You stupid bastard.” Despite the words Krem’s voice was soft.

Bull gave him a tired grin. “There’s no heat in those words, Krem de la Krem. If you were really angry you ‘d be shouting.”

“Or maybe I’m going to let someone else do the shouting.” Krem nodded his head at the opposite side of the bed and Bull turned to look.

There, curled up on the armchair that was usually behind her desk, was the Inquisitor. She was asleep and still managed to look exhausted, something that he hadn’t seen since those first few months at Skyhold when she would drive herself too hard, try to do too much and then be so preoccupied thinking of it that she was unable to sleep and still she would keep going until she was so utterly drained that she would literally collapse.

Like Krem she wore just trousers and a shirt, the same ones she'd been wearing that night in the tavern, Her silvery blonde hair was loose and she had only scant traces of the makeup she usually wore. It made her look much younger and far more vulnerable.

“First time she’s slept since you collapsed.” Krem informed him quietly. “Waited until the healer said you’d be fine and still wouldn’t leave your side. She’s been frantic.”

“Yeah?” Bull’s mouth curved into a smile. He couldn’t picture it, but he kind of liked that she cared that much.

As if she knew she were being watched Elspeth’s eyes fluttered open and they immediately went to Bull. When she saw he was awake, she scrambled out of the chair and onto the bed, kneeling beside him, putting a hand on his forehead to check for fever and then leaning over and putting her ear to his chest. “Breathe.” She ordered him.

“Kadan…”

“Breathe!” She snapped, not even looking at him.

He took a deep breath and let it out again. A small ache but nothing compared to what it had been.

Elspeth seemed satisfied as well. She shifted herself and pressed her ear was on the other side of his chest. “Again.”

He did as she ordered.

For just a moment her whole body went limp with relief and then she straightened up still kneeling at his side, her blue eyes blazing.

“You asshole!" She shouted at him. "You absolute fucking asshole, putting your fucking male ego before your life? Before us?” Her voice cracked with emotion and for a brief moment she looked as if she might cry, and the idea of it startled him: Elspeth never cried. Fury won out though. “If you ever pull something like that again I will send a lightning bolt up your ass that will fry you from the inside out!” She snarled.

Out of the corner of his eye Bull saw Krem quickly get up and leave the room, grinning broadly. 

Elspeth was still yelling. “You fucking bastard! You egomaniacal jerk!” A small fine-boned hand reached out and hit his chest and he barely felt it. It was like being struck by a butterfly.

She realized the inefficacy of her actions and curled her hands into fists, hitting him with one, and then with both together. “Bull doesn’t get sick, not him!” She shouted. “He doesn’t need healing." She punctuated his remarks with her fists. "He doesn't need potions. His fucking dick is too big for him to get sick. He can just tough it out. Well let me tell you this, you stupid ass.” She said with a particularly vicious blow. “I will fucking freeze that thing solid and snap it off and make you wear it as a fucking hat if you ever…” Her voice broke and she had to start again. “You nearly died, you fucking….” Tears were streaming down her face as she brought those tiny ineffectual fists down again. “You nearly died.” 

And to his astonishment she collapsed on his chest crying. Elspeth Trevelyan was crying.

Over him.

He pulled her on top of him, and held her, stroking her back, making small soothing noises, telling her he was fine now, reassuring her that he’d never do it again, until the sobs began to subside. 

“A hat, huh?” He said when she had quieted.

He felt her smile against his chest, and she reached up to curl her arm around his neck, pressing even closer against him. “Yes.” She said fiercely, “With a big pink feather.” 

He laughed, a low rumble that came from deep in his chest, and tangled his fingers in that silver gilt hair marveling at the silky feel of it. “I love you too, Kadan.”

**Author's Note:**

> Tied but Tenderly pictures references and other Dragon Age: Inquisition related things can be found on my tumblr
> 
>    
> [Tied, but Tenderly references and inspiration](http://penthesilea1623.tumblr.com/search/tied+but+tenderly)


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